Telegraph-key.



Patented Sept. 8, 1914.

2 SEEETSSHBET 1.

R.L.BOULTER. TELEGRAPH KEY.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR.29, 1912. v

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Ill/2 a THE NORRIS PETERS 50.. PHOTO LlTHO" WASHI NG IUN. D. C.

R. L. BOULTER.

TELEGRAPH KEY.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.29, 1912.

1 109 1 Patented Sept. 8, 1914.

2 SHBETS-SHEET 2.

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INVENTOR 7 Attomqy THE NORRIS PETERS CO., PHOTO-LITHO.. WASHINGT'DN, D. C.

UNITED STATES OFFICE.

. ROYAL L. Bowman, gor nos laureates, jonmsonma.

I "TELEGRAPHPKEY.

i I AfipIicationfilecUMarch29,1912. -serial nosssmes.

T alltohomt't may concern Belit knownthat I, BOYAL'L. Boumnlgfa citizen of the United States, residing atxLosv Angel'es, cou11ty of Los 'A-ngeles, 2 and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Telegraph- Keys, of which thefollowing is a specifioa tion.

This invention 'r'el ates to telegraph keys. l he present lnvention relates to that class of telegraph keysiknown as transmitters or vibrators which employ a vibratory reed or pendulum in connection with a' key for the purpose of makingthedotsto-relieve the operator of the repeated finger and Wrist movements necessary With the ordlnary telegraph'key When making a seriesof dots. This class'o'l transmitter also employs N a separate'key for forming dashes; The two keys are, in most transmitters at present known to the art, arranged for movement laterally or side'wise, as eontra'dis'tinguished from the up and down movement of the old type of telegraph key, and "they are particularly designed for sending messa'ges rapidly With a minimum effort on the part of the operator, but areparticularly'usefulto operators "havlng writer s cramp or telegraphers paralysis.

superior in many respectsto the old style Morse key, have been incapable of s'uch adj ustment as to ad apt them for both 'ft'ast and slow Work and'j f'or fuse on both long and short lines; they "liave'usually' also been complicated and occupie'd considerable sp ace, besi'de being fliable to "derangement, 'as Well as subject to other defects. V v

The present invention has for its "object the provision of a transmitter or vibrator telegraph key which Will be simplepcompact,

strong, durable, susceptible of any desired adjustment of the contacts, particularly those used for making the dots, extremely sensitive to every movement of the opera tors fingers, arranged for ready adjustment to suit the play of'the' fingers of different operators, and for adjustment of the vibrator'to adapt the instrument for use in slow or fast Work and on either short or long 1 circuits. 'These obj ects 'I accomplish by the provision of certain new features, arrange ments and combinations o'f parts, as will ao pear more-fully "hereinafter and -=be "rec1te'd intheappended claims; ,7

Am'ong the new featurfes at:istitutirrg the Heretofore transmitters ofthis type, while Specification of Letters Patent. j]?3,133]itiefl' Sept.s, 1914.

" the :tension, a new contactldevice hauing' -means whereby ib'oth coarse zand fine adjust- ."ments may be had, ""Whereby, in connection with the "contact of the .'vibrating pendulum, the 'adjustment of the contacts may be changed -to suit all of thetvaried conditions f of use at difierentitime's In the .1 accompanying drawings :-iFi-gure 1 us a verticaliseetion :avith pertain parts in full lines; Fig. 2, a side :elevationil'ooking toward'zthe pendulum and-the contacts; Fig. 3, 5a 'ifront elevation looking toward ithe op- :erating zkeys Eig. 4, amend elevatio rshowing the lpendulumvibrator and *the key for operating it; Fig. *5,,; a detail perspective of the pendulum vibrator and ;its =operating ---key; EigFG, asimilar 'view i o'f the :-contact for Lmaking dashes land its operating xkey; Fig 7 ,-'-*a detail perspective of theadjustable contact and its mounting; Fig. 8,"ia

longitudinal section :through the vibratory pendulumz-showing the springs in full' lin es; iFlrg. 9, a longitutlinal section through the ad ustable contact, certain :parts'being in Ifframe 2 rrrising therefrom Extending through a web 3unithe base '1,1i-s:an insufull 'lines; and 10, "a detail ofra modi though mot necessarily so, with the hollow *lated stems to which Lone'of the lterminfals" or the condu'ctor cord 5 is connected at' 6. The stem is "secured H30 the *standard or frame 2 byya cross-piece? Wlllh is ,insu- *lated at 8 fr'om the frame and'ahas connected thereto or formed integralitherewiith an arm 9 in Which a mama; support 10 is h eld by a "clamping screw l l which permits a general {or coarse adjustment of ithe' contact '12. j This cc tact is pivoted a't 13' 't0the upper end of f 'the support and may be 'raised :or lowered Ito effect a fine adj1ist ent 'of [the Contact byjthe screw 14 Whos'eftip bears up'on the upper end ot the support at 15. ."To hold the'contact m down and permit fit to wield, acc0rding "to the rid-' justment desired and the conditions of use, there is provided a contractile spring 16 which is connected at its upper end to the contact member and extends downwardly through the bore of the contact support and at its lower end is provided with a screw and nut 17 By turning the nut, the tension of the spring may be regulated and the adaptability of the contact 13 to yield may be regulated.

So far as I am aware, a contact of this character has not heretofore been'used on a telegraph key. It has the advantages of adaptability for a general or coarse adjustment and for a quick and easy fineadjustment to adapt it to the changing conditions of sending as met with in ordinary practice and, particularly through the use of this contact, the adaptability of the instrument for use on short or long lines or in slow or rapid sending is made possible. The other terminal of the conductor cord 5 is attached to any part of the base 1 or frame 2 and to enable the-circuit to be closed through the instrument, I provide a circuit closer 18 pivoted at 19, whose end is adapted to contact with a washer 20 or other part of the stem 4. Normally this circuit closer is out of contact with the said washer.

Rockably mounted in the standard 2 is the-key pivot 21 carrying a contact 22 which is adapted to be made to engage the upper part of the stem 4 but is normally kept from such engagement by a spring 23 whose tension is regulated by a knurled. screw .24, the play of the contact being limited within any desired bounds by a knurled set screw 25. The contact 22 forms the dashes of; the

alphabet. y I

Secured to and depending from therocker pin 21 is a key stem 26 which is of flexible materialand is preferably in the form of a flexible flat strip. The key or finger-piece 27 is of some suitable insulating material, as usual, and has a split clamp 28 which embraces and is adapted for engagement with the key stem26, a screw 29 serving to bind the parts of the clamp together. The key button being adjustable up and down on the key stem 26, enables it to be disposed at any desired height accordingto the requirements of the person using the. key, and the flexibility of the stem affords a sufiicient cushion to the pressure of the operators finger to render sending easy.

Ro'ckably mounted in the upright 2 is another pivot member 30 which carries a flexible depending key stem 31 similar to the key stem 26, and there is provided a key button or finger-piece 32 which has a clamp 33 adjustably connecting it to the stem 31,

-whereby it maybe adjusted vertically to suit the requirements of the operator. The stem 31, like stem 26, being flexible, the movementof theoperators finger, usually the thumb, is cushioned and sending is rendered easy.

Carried,by'the pivot 30 is an arm 34 which extends up through the top of the frame or standard 2 and laterally at that side which carries the contact 12 heretofore described. A spring 35 and an adjustable knurled screw 36 afi ord means for placing any desired tension on the pendulum arm 34. Knurled set screws or steps 37, 37 engage the arm 34 and limit its play.

Depending from the arm 34 are the pendulum leaf springs 38 which are light and yet of sutficient rigidity to absorb unnecessary vibration and still afford suitable flexibility. These pendulum springs are connected by a cross-piece 39 from which rises a tubular member 40 disposed between the pendulum springs and on which a pendulum weight or bob 41 maybe adjusted and held by a set screw 42. For slow sending, the bob willbe lowered and for rapid send ing, it will be raised to any desired point according to the requirements of use. tending down through the tubular member 40 is a coil spring 43' whose lower end is made fast at 44 and whose upper end is connected by a screw and nut 45 to the pendulum arm 34, this device affording means for regulating the tension on the pendulum springs 38 so that their tendency to vibrate may be regulated as may be desired Slidable on the tubular member and adapted to be secured thereto at any desired height is a collar 46 having screw 47 and provided with contact 48, which is positioned underneath the contact 12 and is adapted to engage it when the finger-piecev shown in Fig. 10. the contact being carried by light or weak springs '48 attached to collar 46 and regulated as to play by a screw; 46

The independent yieldability of the contact lengthens the time of its engaging the contact 12 without appreciably diminalso permits adjustment for longer or shorter contact,

On the base l is a set screw 49 which is adapted to check the back play of the pendulum by engaging the cross-piece 39.

The contacts 12 and48 are for making the dots of the alphabet.

The cord 5 has a jack or plug 50 which may be inserted under the contact lip of an ishing the vibrations of the vibrator and ordinary telegraph key when it is. desired to insert the present key in the circuit. The i circuit may then be closed by the circuit closer of the present invention.

The vlbrating pendulum constitutes an important part of the present invention. 1

am aware that" vibrating pendulums arranged vertlcally have heretofore been used .011 telegraph transmittersbut,-so far as I am I of the springs 38 may be changed. All of these features are new with me, so far as I am aware and, severally and ointly, they contrlbute to the sensltlveness and adaptability for a wide range of adjustmentto suit circuits of different lengths and either fast or slow'sending as well as the individual peculiarities of different operators, giving results which are not obtainable with other vibrator keys known to the art.

In operating the key, the hand is made to play in a more or less lateral direction, the forefinger being used to manipulate the key button 27 to form the dashes and the key button 32 is manipulated by the thumb to form the dots. On pressing upon the key button 32, the arm 34 is rocked and the entire pendulum moved, thus setting it in vibrati on and causing the contact 41-8 to strike the contact l2 a number of times which, in turn, is controlledby the period of time the key button 32 is held depressed, Thus,

one or several dots may be automatically formed, due to the vibration of the pendulum and the operator is relieved of the tiresome repetition of dots. 7 Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is i 1. In a telegraph transmitter, the combination with a pivotally mounted flexible vibrator whose vibratory part projects freely,

of means for vibrating said vibrator, and

means carried bodily by the vibrator audits" pivotal mounting adapted for changing'and maintaining the tension of its freely projecting flexible part independent of the means for accomplishing its vibration.

2. In a telegraph transmltter, the combination with a pivotally mounted flGXlblO v1- brator whose vibratory part projects freely,

of means for vibrating said vibrator, and

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing Washington, D. C.

1 thereby which self-contained adjustable spring means car-. riedbodily. by the vibrator and its pivotal mounting adapted for changing and main- 'taining the'tensionoffis freely projecting flexible part independent of the means for accomplishing its vibration. 1

having separated leaf or ribbon springs, cross end members connecting said springs,

adjustable weight carried by said member.

weight adjustably carried by said tubular L 3.1%; vibrator for telegraph transmitters member, a coil spring connecting the end members together,"andmeans for adjusting the tensionof said coil spring.

5. In a telegraph key, the combmation Wlth a vibrator, and a COIltilCliCZLlllQd thereby, of a movably anounted contact, and, means whereby said movably mounted oontact may be shifted as an entirety lengthwise of the vibratorto difl'erent positions to obtain a coarse adjustment and having means whereby it may be finely adjusted independently of such shifting in the same direction in which'it is adapted to be shifted.

6. In a telegraph key, the combination with a hollow slidable contact support and means for securingit where adjusted, of a contact movable in relation to, and mounted on, said contact support, a spring secured to the contact and located within the hollow support and secured thereto, and an adjusting screw for adjusting the contact in rela tion to said support. v I

i f 7.111 a telegraph transmitter, the combina tion with a vibrator, and a contact carried .is adjustable lengthwise thereof, {of another shiftably mounted contact adapted to be engaged by the contact aforesaid, andin'dependent means for adjusting said shiftably mounted contact in the direction in which it is shiftable, where byboth coarse and fine adjustments of said v ROYAL LQBOULTERL Witnesses: i I f F. e. name, 7 T; M. PRESTON.

the Commissionerof Patents, 

